Written Answers Thursday 18 May 2006

Scottish Executive

Antisocial Behaviour

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to ensure that local delivery agencies are using their powers under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004.

Cathy Jamieson: Local antisocial behaviour strategies and outcome agreements include clear targets. Performance against these is being monitored by the Executive. The legislation has provided tools for the agencies involved to use, in order to provide a better life in local communities.

  Ministers expect that every agency will consider how best to use these powers locally.

Autism

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what resources it has put in place to support allied health professionals to provide adequate levels of service to children with autistic spectrum disorder, in light of the significant increase in their number.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive Education Department provided funding of £3 million per year for the last two years to NHS boards to meet their obligations under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. These resources are being used in a variety of ways, including the recruitment of speech and language therapists and other professionals to work with autistic children in schools.

Child Protection

Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to protect vulnerable children living in households where drugs are being abused.

Cathy Jamieson: I am very aware of the potentially devastating effects of parental drug misuse on vulnerable children. Children’s safety must be a priority for all agencies involved in working with drug misusers. Hidden Harm – Next Steps was published on 8 May 2006, setting out a range of actions already under way to help tackle this problem.

Dentistry

Mr Bruce McFee (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Inverclyde children are currently waiting for a first out-patient appointment with a consultant in a dental specialty following referral by a general medical or dental practitioner.

Lewis Macdonald: The requested information is not centrally available.

Dentistry

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-24207 and S2W-24210 by Lewis Macdonald on 27 March 2006, whether it is the Executive’s understanding that no dental laboratories in Scotland undertake work for dentists in England and Wales.

Lewis Macdonald: This information is not held centrally, but no particular concerns have been raised with the Executive in relation to dental laboratories in Scotland which undertake work for dentists in England and Wales.

  As independent contractors, it is a matter for individual dentists to decide on which dental laboratories they use to undertake their laboratory work.

Dentistry

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-24212 by Lewis Macdonald on 27 March 2006, what level of resources has been invested in the education, training and development of all dental care professionals in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board, and what percentage of these resources was specifically targeted for dental laboratory technicians.

Lewis Macdonald: Information is not held centrally on the expenditure related to education and training by area NHS boards which are responsible for the continuing professional development of their own staff.

  Spending by NHS Education Scotland (NES) to support education and training of all dental professionals and associated dental staff in Scotland is shown in the following table.

  NES Dental Budget

  

 
£ Million


 1999-2000
 7.9


 2000-01
 8.4


 2001-02
 10.6


 2002-03
 22.0


 2003-04
 22.4


 2004-05
 25.4


 2005-06
 32.1


 2006-07
 42.0

Early Years

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements have been made to early years education staff development since 2000.

The Executive have supplied the following corrected answer:

Peter Peacock: Since 2000 the Executive has invested nearly £25 million into early years and childcare staff development and a further £12 million is committed to 2008.

  As part of the Scottish Budget arrangements, 2004, the Executive committed to increasing the proportion of workers qualified to the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) registration standards from 65% in 2003 to 85% in 2009.

  Registration of the early years and child care workforce with the SSSC is an important aspect of increasing professionalism in the sector.

  Registration will commence during 2006 and is dependent on holding or working towards a relevant qualification. Registration will also involve a commitment to continuous professional development.

Early Years

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the early years education workforce (a) was qualified to an appropriate standard in 2000 and (b) is now qualified to this standard.

The Executive have supplied the following corrected answer:

Peter Peacock: The Scottish Social Services Council published the qualifications criteria for registration of the early years and child care workforce in March 2004.

  The Pre-School and Childcare Workforce Statistics survey provides information about qualifications of the workforce. In 2003, 65% of the workforce were qualified to registration standards. This increased to 71% in 2004. Comparable information is not available before 2003.

Economy

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the latest quarterly GDP figures for Scotland are for the fourth quarter of 2005 while the latest figures for the United Kingdom are for the first quarter of 2006, given that both sets of figures were published on the same day.

Nicol Stephen: The GDP figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for Quarter 1, 2006 are the first preliminary estimate of GDP growth. These figures are available with a 3.5 week lag, but are based on incomplete production data, limited retail sector data, and published at the broad industry level only. The second estimate is available with a lag of eight weeks, with a third estimate, based on fully balanced accounts, available 12 weeks after the end of the quarter.

  The Scottish Executive publish one quarterly estimate of Scottish GDP around 17 weeks after the end of the relevant quarter.

  Additional time is required to process Scottish extracts of UK survey data for the relevant quarter and to obtain additional data for industrial sectors to produce robust estimates of GDP for Scotland.

Emergency Services

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been awarded to (a) each police force, (b) each fire service and (c) the ambulance service in each year since 1999, expressed as an amount per head of population.

Hugh Henry: The funding allocated from the Scottish Executive (grant aided expenditure and capital) in respect of the police, fire and ambulance service is set out as follows.

  The figures for the ambulance service are only available on a national basis.

  For the fire service, grant aided expenditure allocations are included as part of a larger distribution process covering other local authority services and it is for each local authorities to determine the actual level of funding that is allocated.

  Fire Service

  

 
 Central Scotland
 Dumfries and Galloway
 Fife
 Grampian
 Highland and Islands
 Lothian and Borders
 Strathclyde
 Tayside


 1999-2000
 35.85
 38.52
 40.71
 31.29
 39.49
 32.33
 36.59
 43.43


 2000-01
 37.62
 41.14
 43.82
 34.51
 44.07
 34.79
 40.13
 47.45


 2001-02
 41.95
 43.01
 47.89
 37.51
 48.76
 38.63
 43.97
 51.10


 2002-03
 46.01
 46.59
 49.97
 37.75
 51.12
 41.18
 47.77
 54.67


 2003-04
 47.38
 51.04
 57.96
 44.86
 54.16
 42.45
 52.16
 58.63


 2004-05
 50.37
 56.60
 64.25
 47.97
 57.13
 44.13
 53.97
 63.79


 2005-06
 55.97
 60.03
 67.32
 46.35
 58.07
 47.28
 57.34
 66.89


 2006-07
 57.41
 66.29
 63.66
 53.48
 78.78
 51.34
 59.90
 69.61



  Police Forces

  

 
 Central
 Dumfries and Galloway
 Fife
 Grampian
 Northern
 Lothian and Borders
 Strathclyde
 Tayside


 1999-2000
 118.56
 141.77
 111.56
 116.29
 133.54
 146.33
 149.55
 141.68


 2000-01
 120.39
 146.21
 118.87
 120.24
 140.49
 150.20
 155.61
 149.41


 2001-02
 127.21
 153.27
 125.83
 130.21
 153.86
 159.00
 167.86
 158.06


 2002-03
 131.86
 157.45
 126.52
 138.37
 157.97
 168.19
 176.54
 163.84


 2003-04
 143.96
 167.54
 140.53
 149.94
 168.88
 179.87
 191.08
 176.75


 2004-05
 150.15
 177.08
 149.28
 160.91
 175.39
 188.17
 201.32
 183.92


 2005-06
 161.51
 188.52
 163.15
 169.91
 178.98
 198.19
 216.02
 196.01


 2006-07
 169.24
 196.37
 167.44
 178.11
 190.26
 205.46
 225.04
 203.24



  Ambulance Service

  

 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06
 2006-07


 17.72
 18.87
 20.25
 22.18
 23.91
 28.25
 30.47
 32.09

Enterprise

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a target to reduce the number of business support services, similar to that announced by Her Majesty’s Government, and, if so, what that target is.

Nicol Stephen: The vast majority of support services to business are provided through the Enterprise Networks. Since 2002, there has been an ongoing programme of simplification of the support offered to business throughout Scotland.

  Scottish Enterprise, in 2002, had approximately 1,500 support products it could offer to business. A rationalisation programme saw this reduced to 800 by 2004. Since then, the Chief Executive’s "Agenda for Change" has seen further reductions and by 1 April 2006, the number had been reduced to 126. It is expected by the end of this year, that there will be 71 support products on offer from Scottish Enterprise. Similarly, between 2002 and 2004, Highlands and Islands Enterprise undertook an intensive review of its products and processes, delivering a substantial reduction in product numbers and streamlining the process for smaller grant applications. This has resulted in a reduction in the time taken to process applications for up to £25,000 from 40 days to under 12 days.

  In addition, following recommendations from a departmental review of business support, the Executive is currently reviewing the support offered to business through a variety of grant schemes. The aim is to simplify the support mechanisms available and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of direct grant support.

Environment

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to tackle air quality issues in Scotland’s cities.

Rhona Brankin: The Executive is pursuing a wide range of policies to tackle air quality issues in Scotland’s cities, as set out in the Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

  We are working closely with local authorities, the Scottish Environment and Rural Development Department and others to implement these policies.

Environment

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in giving appropriate support to the production of bog myrtle oil, given that the plants need to be grown in time to fulfil orders next year.

Ross Finnie: Environment and Rural Affairs Department officials, in conjunction with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise, have held several meetings with representatives of a number of key commercial interests to discuss their plans for the cultivation and processing of bog myrtle oil in Scotland.

  A comprehensive report, produced by independent consultants, on the potential for this new product to benefit Scottish producers and the rural economy, indicates that current demand can be met from wild harvest but that optimising future development will depend on further agronomic research. This is likely to require the establishment of a number of plantations in various parts of Scotland. Options are now being explored for taking this research forward, with support from public agencies, although immediate progress requires the provision of further information on the proposed research which is currently awaited from the private sector partners.

European Funding

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to assist Glasgow City Council to make a case for a share of the €50 billion EU "smart money" budget for scientific research and innovation.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive assumes that the EU "smart money" budget for scientific research and innovation refers to the 7th EU R&D (Research and Development) Framework Programme. The Framework Programme (FP) is the EU’s main instrument for funding research and development. The current FP is FP6, which will be running up to the end of 2006 and FP7 will be fully operational as of 1 January 2007 and will expire in 2013. The budget for the FP7 remains to be agreed as part of the ongoing negotiations. The Commission proposal for FP7 outlines a budget of €73 billion over seven years (2007-13). A final budget is expected in the summer of 2006.

  The Executive is keen to maximise Scottish participation in Framework funded projects. The Innovation Relay Centre (IRC) is a Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise funded initiative specifically designed to facilitate Scottish participants to secure European R&D funding and find Framework partners or projects to join. The framework is open to all private and public entities, both large and small, and I would encourage all interested parties to contact the IRC for further information.

Family Law

Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline any recommendations arising from the research discussed at the seminar which it organised with the Economic and Social Research Council on 3 May 2006 on private arrangements for parent-child contacts.

Cathy Jamieson: This seminar was one in a series jointly hosted by the Executive and Social Research Council. The seminar examined how other countries have experienced and researched private contact arrangements and how we might learn from this. We are now considering how to take further work forward.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ascertain from V-Ships whether it wishes to continue as a bidder for the operation of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

Tavish Scott: Following Western Ferries’ decision to withdraw from the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services tender process, none of the other organisations who remain in the tender process have indicated to the Executive that they wish to withdraw from the competition at this stage. The Executive intends to contact these organisations shortly once the current phase of the tendering process has been completed.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the withdrawal of Western Ferries from the tendering process for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services, it will re-examine the tendering procedures involved.

Tavish Scott: The Clyde and Hebrides ferry services are being tendered in line with Scottish Executive and EU procurement rules and in a fully transparent and fair manner. Therefore the Executive has no intention of re-examining its tendering procedures in light of Western Ferries’ decision to withdraw from the tender competition.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the cost of competing in the tendering process for the operation of the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

Tavish Scott: As with any competitive tendering competition, it is a commercial decision for potential bidders to consider the scale of costs they are willing to commit to the tender process for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to ensure that the cost of competing in the tendering process for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services is as low as possible.

Tavish Scott: The Executive has recently introduced electronic tendering arrangements for procurement exercises such as this and bidders for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services have the option of submitting their bid and other associated information using this mechanism. These arrangements should reduce bidders printing and postage costs, as well as provide savings on staff costs given the less intensive nature of the arrangements.

  In addition, the Executive will also be establishing an Electronic Information Room as part of the next stage of the tender process. Access to the Electronic Information Room will be made available to all of the organisations who are invited to tender to operate the services. The information provided by the Executive will include detailed operational and financial information relating to the existing services. This should minimise the time that bidders need to spend on collating and researching information in preparation of their bid.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any complaints regarding the way that the tendering process for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services is being run and, if so, who complained, what the complaint concerned and what action has been taken as a result.

Tavish Scott: Western Ferries have expressed concerns about the tender process for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services. The Executive has received no formal complaints about the administration of the tender process from any of the potential bidders.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that bidders to operate the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services had full access to all relevant material on each route within the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services bundle.

Tavish Scott: The tender process for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services commenced in October last year when adverts seeking expressions of interest from operators interested in providing the services were widely published. Following the responses to the adverts, Pre-Qualification Questionnaires were sent to the organisations that expressed an interest. By the closing date for returns, three organisations submitted a Pre-Qualification Questionnaire. The questionnaires, which are being used to assess the financial and operational robustness of the organisations interested in operating the services, are currently being evaluated by the Executive. Following this process, which we hope to complete shortly, we will identify a suitable tender list and issue formal Invitations to Tender.

  The Executive is committed to providing bidders for the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services with as much information as possible to allow them to construct a fully informed bid. As part of the tender process so far, an Initial Information Pack was sent to the organisations who expressed an interest in operating the services. The Initial Information Pack provided background information on the project and details of the existing network of services.

  For the next stage of the procurement process, the Executive will be establishing an Electronic Information Room. Access to the Electronic Information Room will be made available to all of the organisations who are invited to tender to operate the services. The Electronic Information Room will include detailed operational and financial information relating to the routes being tendered, and should allow bidders to construct a fully informed bid.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it was informed that Arran Ferries had lodged a complaint with the European Commission regarding the operation of ferry services by Caledonian MacBrayne.

Tavish Scott: The Executive first became aware of complaints to the European Commission regarding the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services in spring 2005 but were not informed who lodged the complaints nor the details of the complaints. The general policy of the European Commission, unless in exceptional circumstances, is not to reveal the identities of any complainants. In this instance, the Commission has not revealed the names of complainants, or details of any complaints, against the Clyde and Hebrides ferry services.

  Arran Ferries wrote to the Executive on 26 April 2006 (which the Executive received on 9 May after requesting a copy), indicating that they had lodged a detailed report with the European Commission requesting the immediate commencement of Infraction Proceedings.

Ferry Services

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any complaints regarding the way the tender process for the Northern Isles ferry services contract was run and, if so, who complained, what the complaint concerned and what action has been taken as a result.

Tavish Scott: The tendering process for the Northern Isles ferry services contract has not yet been completed. No complaints have been received by the Executive regarding the way the tender process for the Northern Isles ferry services contract has been or is being run.

Fire Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) full-time and (b) retained firefighters have (i) been employed and (ii) taken early retirement in each year since 1997, broken down by fire brigade area.

Hugh Henry: The numbers of full time and retained firefighters employed in each year since 1997 is given within the tables of Scottish Fire Service Staff Numbers from 1997 to 2005, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39591).

  Information on early retirements is not held centrally.

Foster Care

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25339 by Robert Brown on 3 May 2006, how this answer indicates (a) whether there is a legal impediment to paying a child allowance to kinship carers and (b) how any national allowance would be determined, and whether the power to create a national system of fostering allowances will be applied on a statutory or voluntary basis.

Robert Brown: The answer to question S2W-25339 outlines how any national allowance would be determined by explaining that it would be determined by Regulations under the Adoption and Children (Scotland) Bill proposed to be introduced by ministers to the Scottish Parliament following consultation. Question S2W-25339 did not ask whether any such allowance would be applied on a statutory or voluntary basis. We are still considering how best to implement such a national system, in the light of changing practice in the payment of allowances.

  As far as Kinship Carers are concerned, local authorities are currently able to pay allowances to such carers if they wish, but this issue is part of our wider consideration of fostering allowances.

Further Education

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive whether it will provide additional funding to the Scottish Funding Council to enable the deficit of Inverness College to be reduced by £1 million; whether it has received any representations from any politician to that effect and, if so, from whom and on what date.

Nicol Stephen: We are already providing record levels of resources to the Scottish Funding Council. Annual funding will reach £620 million by 2007-08, a cash increase of 45% in four years. Funding decisions in relation to individual institutions are entirely a matter for the Funding Council, free from ministerial interference.

  The Executive has received various representations from political representatives about the deficit of Inverness College. Our records indicate that this is the first request made in these precise terms.

Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to ensure that appropriate and timely information is given to the parents of children with plagiocephaly and that treatment is similarly available for their children.

Lewis Macdonald: Parents of children with this condition do receive medical advice on diagnosis, as well as further information about the condition. We are currently in discussion with NHS Health Scotland with a view to developing an information leaflet for all new parents which will give advice about plagiocephaly. The leaflet will also advise parents where to go for additional advice should their child develop this condition.

Health

Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what level and frequency of assessment and physiotherapy is available to stroke victims.

Mr Andy Kerr: The level and frequency of physiotherapy treatment should be based on an assessment of each person’s individual clinical need, using the available evidence on clinical effectiveness.

Health

Kate Maclean (Dundee West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether progress has been made towards piloting sight-screening for pupils on entry to secondary school since the Stage 3 debate on the Smoking, Health and Social Care (Scotland) Bill.

Lewis Macdonald: Officials of the Health Department have sought advice from the UK National Screening Committee (NSC) in relation to vision screening. The NSC advises UK Ministers on screening policy based on the latest research evidence and the advice of specially convened multi-disciplinary expert groups. Officials are being updated by the NSC on any research being considered and commissioned through the NSC Health Technology Assessment process that is relevant to vision screening.

  The Scottish Executive is committed to research to investigate whether sight testing of school children identifies previously undetected significant sight problems. Possible options for this research are being explored.

Health

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the membership is of the implementation group for the review of neurosurgery services in Scotland.

Mr Andy Kerr: John Glennie was announced as the chair of the neuroscience implementation group on 16 May and we are currently looking at the composition of the group. Since this is a national service, we need to make sure that all parts of Scotland are represented. The group will also contain representatives of the interests of patients, as well as all health professionals representing all the branches of neuroscience. We shall announce the membership in due course.

Health

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the implementation group for the review of neurosurgery services in Scotland has met and what its schedule is for future meetings.

Mr Andy Kerr: The implementation group has not yet met, but we would expect that it will hold its initial meeting in autumn 2006. The general timetable for its work set out in Delivering for Health anticipates that the group will submit proposals to the Executive by December 2007.

Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) in-patient and (b) day-case operations were carried out in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) NHS board and (ii) hospital.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is given in a document entitled NHSScotland : number of day case and inpatient operations by Health Board and hospital . A copy of this document has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39574).

  Operations are carried out within NHSScotland in a wide range of settings dependent on a number of factors including the complexity of the operation and the clinical and personal needs of the patient.

  The table shows trend data on the number of principal procedures carried out on patients admitted as in-patients or day cases to Scottish hospitals.

  In addition, some operations are performed in out-patient clinics. The ISD website provides details of available national figures. Currently, it is difficult to describe and quantify accurately the level of operations carried out in out-patients. ISD have been working with NHS boards to capture this information. Emerging findings are published in ISD’s data developments web pages at:

  http://www.isdscotland.org/data_development.

Housing

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14462 by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2005, what improved arrangements are now in place with other public bodies and UK Government departments for the disposal, where appropriate, of surplus public sector land for housing.

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-14462 by Malcolm Chisholm on 15 March 2005, whether it has agreed a land release policy, similar to that agreed with Forestry Commission Scotland, with any other public body, agency or government department.

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-23170 on 20 March.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for which can be found at www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Housing

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what average price was paid for properties by tenants exercising their right to buy in each local authority area in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: Information on the average price paid for properties by tenants exercising their right to buy in each local authority area is accessible on-line through the data library in the publications and data section of the Scottish Executive housing statistics branch website at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/14844/4334 (sales to sitting tenants, table 14).

Justice

Maureen Macmillan (Highlands and Islands) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what safeguards and arrangements it considers should be in place for nervous children who are called as witnesses in sheriff courts to give evidence in domestic violence cases when their parents are both the alleged victim and the accused and the accused is present in court, in light of the provisions of the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004 and guidance issued by the Crown Office on domestic violence cases.

Hugh Henry: The Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004 gives all child witnesses an automatic right to use standard special measures to assist them give their best evidence and help reduce the fear and distress of doing so. The standard special measures are: giving evidence via a live television link, giving evidence from behind a screen in court and having a supporter present in conjunction with either of these measures. In addition, the act provides that a child witness under 12 will not normally be required to attend court to give their evidence in certain types of cases.

  These provisions are being implemented in phases. At present they are available to child witnesses in High Court and sheriff and jury trials and in children’s hearings court proceedings. They will become available to child witnesses in sheriff court summary cases from April 2007. Until then child witnesses can on application be allowed by the court to give their evidence from behind screens or via a live television link under existing statutory provisions or under common law.

  The national protocol, "In Partnership, Challenging Domestic Abuse", agreed by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland provides that where a child witness is to give evidence the police and the Procurator Fiscal must consider what special measures are required to minimise any distress to the child. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service offers training for its staff specifically on domestic abuse.

  The Victim Information and Advice service (VIA), part of the Crown Office, offers a court familiarisation visit and provides information booklets appropriate to a child’s age. VIA also keeps in touch with child witnesses through their parent or carer and advises them of the progress of the case.

Lottery Funding

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the Big Lottery Fund Scotland about the determination of its funding programmes and, if so, what views were expressed on the proposed programme structure.

Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive has kept in close touch with the Big Lottery Fund on the £257 million investment that the fund will make in Scotland’s communities over the next three years.

  In partnership with the Scottish Executive, the fund carried out an extensive consultation last year to inform the policy directions which have now been issued by Scottish ministers. In developing the investment framework to implement these directions, the fund has worked closely with a range of stakeholders, including Scottish Executive Departments.

  Scottish ministers welcome the fund’s investment approach and its undertaking to make 60% of its funds available to support voluntary sector activity. The fund’s investment framework, which was launched by ministers on 22 November 2005, was opened to applications on 2 May 2006.

NHS Staff

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many consultants there were per capita in each NHS board area and what the national average per capita figure was, broken down by year since 1997.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is contained in a document entitled Consultants per 100,000 population by NHS Board 1997-2005 , a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39584).

National Parks

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-25389 by Ross Finnie on 4 May 2006, whether any official in the minister’s department received the advice from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), or information about what that advice would be or would be likely to be, on an earlier date and, if so, which official or officials were involved and on which date or dates the advice or information was received.

Ross Finnie: Scottish Executive officials from the Landscapes and Habitats Division in the Environment and Rural Affairs Department sat on the Coastal and Marine National Parks steering group which had oversight of Scottish Natural Heritage’s work and the report. They were asked to provide comments on a draft paper which was presented to the SNH Board on 14 March. My officials in the Marine Management Division of the Environment and Rural Affairs Department, who have policy responsibility for Coastal and Marine National Parks, also saw a copy of the draft advice that was considered by the SNH Board.

  My officials in the SNH Sponsorship Team routinely see SNH Board papers which are submitted to them, prior to SNH Board meetings. These papers are, however, for the board to consider.

  I understand that the board recommended changes to the Coastal and Marine National Parks paper and that a board sub-group met on 28 March to incorporate these in the final version of SNH’s paper. The paper was cleared by SNH on the afternoon of 30 March and sent to ministers that evening.

Olympic Games

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what independent economic assessment has been made of the impact of the London 2012 Olympic Games on Scotland.

Patricia Ferguson: A report from Price Waterhouse Cooper, commissioned by the UK Government, has shown the effects of the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games on the rest of the UK but did not take into account the effects of the Nations and Regions Group and the Scottish Steering Group for London 2012 which will be working hard over the next six years to ensure that Scotland benefits in every way possible from the games.

Post Office

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the recent announcement by the Department of Trade and Industry of funding for the rural post office network to 2008, whether the Executive anticipates that it will have any powers to fund Scottish post offices after 2008.

Ross Finnie: The Executive already has some, limited, powers to support individual post office businesses. An amendment to the Scotland Act makes an exception to the reserved status of postal services for "financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices." Communities Scotland has used this provision to enhance Government assistance to post offices through a £2 million capital grants scheme and recently-announced business improvement training opportunities for post offices in deprived areas. Any extension of these powers, through primary legislation or an order under the Scotland Act, would require the approval of both the Scottish and the UK Parliament.

Prescription Charges

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it had with patient groups representing those with long-term conditions in respect of the review of the prescription charging system.

Lewis Macdonald: As part of the review of NHS prescription charges and exemption arrangements, the consultation document was sent to various organisations including medical bodies, patient groups, voluntary sector organisations and individuals, inviting responses on this issue. Recipients are listed in the consultation document.

  However, we recognise that the consultation document alone may not have reached all those who would wish their views to be taken into account. Accordingly the review process has included the establishment of focus groups targeted on key stakeholders whose views might not have been caught by means of the written consultation alone. Additionally an independently commissioned survey is being conducted to gauge public awareness regarding prescription charges.

  The responses from all three initiatives will be duly analysed and taken into account when considering what action may be taken.

Rail Network

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost at today’s prices to extend the proposed Borders rail link past Tweedbank to include Borders General Hospital and the council headquarters at Newtown St Boswells and how much traffic would be moved from road to rail as a result.

Tavish Scott: The costs and benefits of extending beyond Tweedbank were assessed in the Scott Wilson feasibility study of 2000.

  Following this assessment and the subsequent STAG appraisal the Waverley Railway partnership decided not to promote the extension.

Rail Services

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people travelled by rail from (a) Perth to Edinburgh via Kirkcaldy, (b) Gleneagles to Edinburgh, (c) Dunblane to Edinburgh and (d) Perth to Dundee in each year since 1990.

Tavish Scott: The following table shows the number of journeys by rail on the routes requested. This data is based on ticket sales information.

  

 
 Journeys*


 2002-03
 2003-04
 2004-05
 2005-06


 Perth - Edinburgh (via Kirkcaldy)
 29,272
 29,107
 33,330
 34,500


 Edinburgh - Perth (via Kirkcaldy)
 20,767
 21,975
 22,942
 23,441


 Gleneagles - Edinburgh
 1,168
 1,103
 1,891
 1,588


 Edinburgh - Gleneagles
 1,471
 1,401
 1,875
 2,143


 Dunblane - Edinburgh
 72,642
 83,146
 87,539
 93,524


 Edinburgh - Dunblane
 23,878
 21,911
 24,716
 27,231


 Perth - Dundee
 62,464
 73,080
 91,197
 103,592


 Dundee - Perth
 48,282
 57,953
 56,868
 64,819



  Note: *Data had been derived from the Lennon Database and is based on ticket sales. Data prior to financial year 2002-03 is only available at zonal level and not individual point-to-point journeys.

  The Edinburgh figures include journeys to/from Edinburgh Waverley, Haymarket and (from 2003-04 onwards) Edinburgh Park.

Regulation

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Executive will implement a better regulation action plan similar to the one launched in England in 2005.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive and its agencies will adopt best practices from the Better Regulation Action Plan which was launched by the Chancellor in May 2005.

  In addition, in Scotland, we are promoting the Better Regulation Agenda by making sure all new legislation is subject to a Regulatory Impact assessment to minimise burdens on business; by engaging with Department of Trade and Industry and Better Regulation Executive officials on setting up Local Better Regulation Offices in Scotland; by feeding the views of Scottish business to the Penalties Review and the Review of Implementation of EU Legislation led by Professor Macrory and Neil Davidson QC respectively; by maximising the opportunities to use public sector procurement as an economic development tool and making the current system easier for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to access and utilise; by ensuring that the benefits from streamlining bureaucracy and improved arrangements for regulation, inspection, audit and complaints handling are shared between the public and private sectors and finally, through our industry-led Regulatory Review Group, by focussing on those areas of most concern to industry and where our joint intervention can make a real difference.

Renewable Energy

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many redundancies in the renewable energy installation sector it estimates may result from the suspension of grants for new applicants.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many accredited renewable energy installers throughout the United Kingdom have been notified that the grant scheme for installing new systems in Scotland has been suspended to new applicants.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with installers of renewable energy systems following its decision to suspend the grant scheme to new applicants.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide compensation to installers of renewable energy systems as a result of the suspension of its grant scheme to new applicants and, if so, what level of compensation it will offer.

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why the Energy Saving Trust Scotland website is still advertising household grants to install energy systems when such grants have been suspended to new applicants.

Nicol Stephen: We remain fully committed to funding the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) which has helped grow the number of installers from 14 in 2003 to some 40 now. On 16 May 2006, I announced an additional £3 million for years 2006-07 and 2007-08, to ensure that we continue to support both household and community applications.

Renewable Energy

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive for how long it has been aware of a reported funding crisis in the grant scheme for householders wishing to convert to a renewable energy system.

Nicol Stephen: We have been in discussions since late last year with the Energy Saving Trust on the rising demand for grants under the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) and the resulting pressures on its budget. We have responded positively to this demand by ensuring sufficient funds are available. The announcement on 16 May 2006 of £3 million additional funding for years 2006-07 and 2007-08 to SCHRI shows our ongoing commitment.

Renewable Energy

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its original estimate was of the number of applicants for a grant to install a renewable energy system and how many applications were received by the end of February 2006.

Nicol Stephen: The aim of the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) is to assist the development of new community and householder renewable energy schemes in Scotland. No estimates on the number of grant applications was made at the inception of SCHRI as it was difficult to predict demand for this new scheme. The actual number of applications received by end February 2006 is 1325.

Roads

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how its Partnership Agreement commitment to ensure that sufficient resources are available for the non-trunk road network is being implemented in Clydesdale.

Tavish Scott: We are meeting our Partnership Agreement commitment to make additional funding available to help local authorities invest in local roads and transport through increasing Grant Aided Expenditure allocations by £16.6 million in total (increase of 3.8%) in 2005-06. Additional provision of £60 million has also been made available for 2006-07 and 2007-08 for improving local roads. This met the COSLA bid in full when announced following the Spending Review in 2004. This is an increase of 23% on the 2004-05 provision for roads and transport throughout Scotland.

  South Lanarkshire Council has benefited from an increase in core funding of 6.1% in 2005-06, and will further benefit from increases in core funding of 3.4% in 2006-07 and 2.8% respectively in 2007-08 as a result of the last Spending Review.

Roads

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17526 by Tavish Scott on 1 July 2005, whether the draft orders for the realignment of the A7 at Auchenrivock were lodged in late 2005 and when it now expects construction work to commence and be completed.

Tavish Scott: Draft Orders for the A7 Auchenrivock scheme were published on 12 May. Subject to these being well received and no objections being returned by 23 June, the earliest that construction could start would be summer of 2007, with completion in summer 2008.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Roads

Derek Brownlee (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question SO2-9666 by Tavish Scott on 4 May 2006, when the decision will be taken on whether to proceed with a bypass of the A7 at Selkirk.

Tavish Scott: A decision will be made once the Strategic Transport Projects Review is completed.

  Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.

Smoking

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the implementation of the ban on smoking in enclosed public places.

Mr Andy Kerr: Thanks to the very hard work of all involved, including local authorities, the Licensed Trade and individual businesses, implementation has been very smooth. Compliance with no-smoking in enclosed public places is very high. Local authorities are working with businesses to deal with mainly technical infringements for non-display of the required no-smoking signage. Compliance data for the first month of the ban will be published in June.

Sport

Mr Frank McAveety (Glasgow Shettleston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce its decision on the future location of  sportscotland’s headquarters.

Patricia Ferguson: I can announce today that, following careful consideration of this matter, Scottish ministers have concluded that  sportscotland’s headquarters should be relocated to Glasgow. The headquarters will be located within the new National Indoor Sports Arena in the east end of Glasgow which is being built as part of our National and Regional Sports Facilities Strategy. This is due to be completed in the autumn of 2009 and the move will take place as soon as the building is ready.

Student Finance

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding is available to assist students to pay for vaccinations in order to enable them to travel abroad as a compulsory part of their academic course.

Nicol Stephen: The Student Awards Agency for Scotland does not provide funding for such vaccinations as it is a "course related" cost and not one to be met from the student support budget.

  In general, if a student is facing particular financial hardship then it is possible for them to apply to their institution directly for assistance from the hardship funds. However, there is no guarantee that the institution would provide funds for this purpose. Such decisions are a matter for the individual institution.

Telecommunications

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it ensures that Scotland’s interests are represented in the work of Ofcom.

Nicol Stephen: Scottish interests in Ofcom work are represented by reserved statutory mechanisms such as the Ofcom office in Scotland, Ofcom’s Scottish advisory committee and members on Ofcom’s consumer panel and content board. The Executive works closely with all parts of Ofcom through regular dialogue on Scottish issues and via responses to key Ofcom consultations.

Water

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what the average household consumption of water in litres per person is compared with equivalent figures for water companies in England and Wales.

Rhona Brankin: The most recent study undertaken in Scotland in 1998 reported a median figure for domestic per capita consumption of 139.1 litres per head per day and a mean figure of 143.3 litres per head per day. The same report suggested this sat comfortably within the range of published OFWAT 1998-99 figures for English and Welsh water companies of between 134.5 and 158.8 litres per head per day.

Water

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what the average amount of water consumed by business customers is compared with equivalent figures for water companies in England and Wales.

Rhona Brankin: Water consumed by business customers varies significantly. It is not possible to make a meaningful comparison between Scotland and England and Wales.